BOSTON – The Boston Bruins signed forward David Krejci to a one-year contract through the 2022-23 season worth $1 million, plus an additional $2 million in performance-based incentives. The announcement was made by Bruins GM Don Sweeney on the same day the club re-signed forward Patrice Bergeron.
Sweeney has one other key free agent that remains unsigned in David Pastrnak. On his conversations with Pastrnak, Sweeney would not elaborate but indicated talks were on-going through-out the off-season.
“Ongoing would probably be the best way to describe it,” said Sweeney. “We’ve been in regular communication. Obviously, David’s still over in Europe and the likelihood is he’ll come back and we’ll talk between now and then. When he gets back, we’ll maybe have a better idea of a deal timeline. But I don’t have one today and you guys know me well enough, I’m not going to comment publicly on ongoing negotiations, but we’ve been in regular contact with JP.”
Krejci, 36, played the 2021-22 season in the Czechia league for HC Olomouc. In 51 games, Krejci led his team in goals (20), assists (26) and points (46). The Sternberk, Czech Republic native also represented his country at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China and at the IIHF World Championship in Finland. In four Olympic Games, Krejci recorded one goal and three assists. At the World Championships, he finished second on his team in scoring with three goals and nine assists for 12 points to help his team win a bronze medal.
Prior to his season with HC Olomouc, Krejci played 15 seasons in the NHL, all with the Bruins. In 2020-21, the 6-foot, 188-pound forward appeared in 51 games, tallying eight goals and 36 assists for 44 points and plus-16 rating. In 11 playoff games, he recorded two goals and seven assists for nine points.
Krejci has appeared in 962 career NHL games with Boston, totaling 215 goals and 515 assists for 730 points. In 156 career playoff games with the Bruins, he’s totaled 42 goals and 82 assists for 124 points. He led Boston in postseason scoring in 2011 en route to winning the Stanley Cup. Krejci ranks seventh in Bruins history in games played (962), assists (515), eighth in points (730) and 10th in game-winning goals (41).
Krejci was originally selected by Boston in the second round (63rd overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.